Chaeto alternative

[jimfish98]

I would love a refugium, just no room. The best I could do is a light on the sump at night and an egg crate basket with Chaeto. To get water movement around it there is a little surface skimmer I put near it. Its not enough to turn or blow the Chaeto around, but enough to keep water flowing and not stagnant there. What I am noticing however is the amount is getting smaller as little strands keep flowing out and into the sponge between my main chamber and pump chamber. Any recommendations for an alternative Macroalgae that would hold up better?

 

[stlcard]

"sea lettuce" from algaebarn is good option. Low maintenance and easier to manage when bits break free. It needs to tumble so put a small power head on it. Wait for it to double in size and then split in half. Toss it or start mixing it with nori if you have tangs. Some tangs will start to like it. The other options for macro have more cons than pros. A lot are actually invasive and some are illegal in certain states.

Chaeto is a mess to deal with. If it isn't growing fast enough (not enough nutrients "gunk" in the water column, or enough light, reddish purple light is ideal) it becomes brittle and breaks off easily. If you don't already, try looking for a legitimate "fuge light". Kessil has a good one.

If you keep a clean tank, don't expect any macro algae to go bananas in your sump. Just be happy you have clean water.

Stability is the key to success in this hobby.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I would love a refugium, just no room. The best I could do is a light on the sump at night and an egg crate basket with Chaeto. To get water movement around it there is a little surface skimmer I put near it. Its not enough to turn or blow the Chaeto around, but enough to keep water flowing and not stagnant there. What I am noticing however is the amount is getting smaller as little strands keep flowing out and into the sponge between my main chamber and pump chamber. Any recommendations for an alternative Macroalgae that would hold up better?

Get a small algae scrubber or reactor instead.

 

[merkmerk73]

Please be wary of ‘sea lettice’ ala Ulva

It will go sexual and send spores into your DT and start growing out of your rock

Nothing eats it. Tough, fibrous leaves that have to be plucked off

 

[AydenLincoln]

Please be wary of ‘sea lettice’ ala Ulva

It will go sexual and send spores into your DT and start growing out of your rock

Nothing eats it. Tough, fibrous leaves that have to be plucked off

Sea hares will and any type of macroalgae but caulerpa will go sexual the most and nuke a tank and is definitely worse in those regards. I like sea lettuce it makes a delicious snack for many fish and inverts who do eat it. Sea lettuce is not as big of a concern for growing or being added to the display and things do eat it.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Using photo-autotrophic growth, macro algae, for clearing the water of nutrients, assumes all nutrients for balanced growth are sufficiently available. Part of new growth must be harvested for balanced nutrient export and can eventually be used as a food source (not Chaeto). If using macro algae for clearing the water of nutrients one should allow waste products to be mineralized to be able to remove all produced inorganic nitrogen compounds, once part of protein of the feed. The big advantage of using Photo-autotrophic growth is this growth does not deplete the C/N ratio and restores the alkalinity by assimilating nitrate produced during the remineralisation proces, reducing waste products, and of which usable nitrate is an end product.
Macro algae are commonly used in aquaculture and marine aquaria algae filters. A lot of research has been made and published. For decoration and to be used in a display tank I am thinking of Cryptonemia crenulata.

 

[MaxTremors]

Sea hares will and any type of macroalgae but caulerpa will go sexual the most and nuke a tank and is definitely worse in those regards. I like sea lettuce it makes a delicious snack for many fish and inverts who do eat it. Sea lettuce is not as big of a concern for growing or being added to the display and things do eat it.

The threat of most caulerpa species ‘going sexual’ is massively overstated.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The threat of most caulerpa species ‘going sexual’ is massively overstated.

Very true! I've kept the fern/feather type for years without any problem.

 

[AydenLincoln]

The threat of most caulerpa species ‘going sexual’ is massively overstated.

I’ve added it happen before and it’s not fun. Caulerpa in general just has a higher risk to go sexual compared to other types.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

The threat of most caulerpa species ‘going sexual’ is massively overstated.

True but :
In the 1970s, when corals were not yet kept in aquariums, algae were an important element in the field of decoration and filtration.
The Stuttgart zoo experimented with keeping and breeding seaweeds and algae for aquaculture. Ultimately, the zoo obtained a seaweed that was perfect for the aquarium. It grew very quickly, took on nice size shapes, was not really eaten by the animals and it was impossible to break! The seaweed that was created by the tropical Caulerpa taxifolia had undergone a real change. It later turned out that the DNA (heredity) pattern of both variants no longer matched. The new seaweed can withstand large temperature differences and survives in almost all waters. The news quickly spread and zoos lined up for a spot. Aquarium stores also sold the seaweed to their customers.
The Monaco aquarium also acquired the seaweed in their collection. It grew gracefully and lushly through their tanks. Mr. Jacques Cousteau who was in charge of the aquarium at the time did not know that he would be responsible for a complete natural disaster. Refreshment was done by pumping new water from the sea and letting the old water flow into the sea. It was inevitable that some cells or spores would flow away with the water on their way to the wild.
Nothing else happened until the late 1980s when a certain professor Alexandre Meinesz went on a diving trip in search of a specific animal found in the Mediterranean. He dived past the walls of the Monaco aquarium into the sea where his eyes literally turned green! He found a field beyond what he could see. The entire seabed was covered with the new variant of Caulerpa taxifolia.
All other vegetation had overgrown and died so that the fish and other inhabitants had also disappeared. The seaweed is eaten by few or no fish, so that the Mediterranean Sea quietly disappears into a large green lawn without any life. Combating the algae is very difficult because natural enemies do not occur and combating it manually is an impossible task as the algae grows faster than it can be picked.
ref: Reefsecrets.org.

The weed is still kept in aquaria and problems have developed in several US locations.

Halimeda also are members of the Caulerpa family and can be of great use for managing a marine aquarium .

 

[Belgian Anthias]

If Gracilaria species are chosen, care must be taken to select algae grown in tanks from spores that have been grown parasite-free. Pythium porphyrae and Pythium marinum free planting material. If not sure, a quarantine period should be initiated. This applies to all macro algae. Ulva species are not very sensitive to this parasite but can be carriers.
The culture of Gracilaria species is widespread, which means that the parasite also occurs everywhere. If introduced, the use of macro-algae for filtration is not possible for a while.
Hypnea species are also good growers for the algae filter and a very suitable food source.

 

[slingfox]

Please be wary of ‘sea lettice’ ala Ulva

It will go sexual and send spores into your DT and start growing out of your rock

Nothing eats it. Tough, fibrous leaves that have to be plucked off

I have both chaeto and ulva in my refugium. Ulva spread to my tank. My emerald crab and one-spot Foxface eat it but not fast enough to keep up with the growth rate so far. I am buying two urchins to see if they will keep the ulva under control. My tank is new so dealing with many issues right now

 

[Dan_P]

I would love a refugium, just no room. The best I could do is a light on the sump at night and an egg crate basket with Chaeto. To get water movement around it there is a little surface skimmer I put near it. Its not enough to turn or blow the Chaeto around, but enough to keep water flowing and not stagnant there. What I am noticing however is the amount is getting smaller as little strands keep flowing out and into the sponge between my main chamber and pump chamber. Any recommendations for an alternative Macroalgae that would hold up better?

The growing conditions you describe might be less than ideal for many macro algae. They all need strong flow to enable good growth and tumbling if not attached. The tumbling minimizes self shading. Many macro algae can end up in the the display tank. I have Mexican turbos and the Ulva I grow in a remote pond does not have a chance in the display tank.

 

[jason2459]

Can you fit on a HOB refugium anywhere? I used one with good results for several years. I much prefer now growing algae in an ATS that just sits on top of the sump. But there's several options for that too. Like here's one I'm playing with right now that is relatively affordable but the maker also makes macro algae options too

Build Thread - Jason's Tank Journey

I do like the Turbo Aquatic lights much better. It seems more evenly spread. It will be interesting if having different light setups will be beneficial.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Ulva species are a very good food source for marine life and for humans. it is eaten by almost all herbivores. if it spreads to the aquarium this means it was allowed to reproduce spores. An algae filter must be maintained, growth renewed and harvested. Most cultivated macro-algae species produce spores if allowed to do so. Some may become toxic if not managed properly. To prevent this one should know everything about their life cycles. Normally one uses two or tree batches which each are harvested when needed and before spores will be produced. Ulva species may be season sensitive but will continue to grow if renewed in time. An algae filter must be managed which means one must have knowledge about the specific needs of the algae species used.
Keeping Chaeto makes management more easy but Chaeto it not suitable for to be used as a food source and is not the best filter-algae available. As it is not common used in marine aquaculture not much research results are available. I could not find an approved publication.

A good UV germicidal lamp between refuge and display may prevent infection from the filter.

A macro algae filter must be able to grow continiously and should be the main filtration methode. It is not suitable for to be used in combination with mechanical filters, socks, sponges, skimmers, because growth rates can not be managed as easily. Active algae management is needed adding for the target nutrients modified feed. Algae filters are used in combination with an effective re- mineralisation filter providing all building materials needed for continious balanced growth.
My opinion macro-algae filters are not suitable for to be used in a limited space.

Maybe an ATS with bentic algae .

Active algae management makes it posible to target ( remove) specific nutrients allowed to accumulate due to using mechanical filters and skimmers.

 

[merkmerk73]

Sea hares will and any type of macroalgae but caulerpa will go sexual the most and nuke a tank and is definitely worse in those regards. I like sea lettuce it makes a delicious snack for many fish and inverts who do eat it. Sea lettuce is not as big of a concern for growing or being added to the display and things do eat it.

This was not my experience at all with Ulva.

Red Ogo I had no issues with, and of course Chaeto (but this is a non Chaeto thread)